Video Games Plus: New Halo Trilogy

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Here's a trick question: What's better than one new Halo game? How about three of them. There was big Halo news coming out of the PAX Prime convention this week and Video Games Plus has all the details. We also have info on a new look for Max Payne, a new Kinect game that will get you all twisted up and word on how you can vote on the cover of the next UFC game.

Halo 4 To Be The First Of New Trilogy

Are you ready for a whole new Halo trilogy? At a Halo panel at the final day of the PAX 2011 convention, some of the developers at 343 Industries revealed that Halo 4 is the beginning of a new trilogy called the "Reclaimer Trilogy" that will focus on the Forerunners, a race of enlightened beings responsible for the creation of the Halo Array. While "Halo: CDST" and "Halo: Reach" focused on other characters in the Halo universe, the new trilogy will be starring John-117, better known as the iconic Master Chief.

“When we first started working on laying the plans for the Reclaimer trilogy a little over two years ago, we kind of knew exactly the kind of story we wanted to tell,” explained Halo 4 creative director Josh Holmes. “It’s really important us, because a lot of what this trilogy is going to focus on is exploring the character of Master Chief and what it means to bring him back and really getting a little bit closer to that character that we’ve experienced before in any of the past games,"

Holmes said the game will focus more on character and about the relationship between Master Chief and his A.I. companion Cortana. As for the gameplay? "It will play like Halo," said Holmes. Well, alrighty then!

Max Payne’s Makeover

Did Max Payne get a makeover? It certain looks that way in the screenshots Rockstar just released. Way back in 2009, Game Informer magazine had some screens of “Max Payne 3” where he was looking older and bald and wore a stain covered wifebeater and generally looked like he had just gotten arrested on an episode of “Cops.” In one of the new screenshots, Max is looking way less like a homeless guy -- with all his hair back and sporting a jacket and tie.

No more details about “Max Payne 3” are available, but any news is good news. There had been rumors that the game had been cancelled. The third in the Max Payne saga was originally scheduled to come out in 2009, but was pushed back to 2010 and then 2011 and then wasn’t even present on Take-Two Interactive’s 2011-2012 calendar year.

Here’s hoping we see the game released before we all get old and bald too.

Twister To Come To Kinect

The old-school game that contorts bodies into pretzels and leads to potentially awkward party fun is coming to Xbox 360. Majesco Entertainment announced this week that it is teaming up board game company Hasbro to develop a Kinect compatible version of Twister for release in November. Called “Twister Mania,” the game is being advertised as a reimagining of the classic game for the digital generation.

Up to eight players can play the games three mode and 16 variations like a game where you move your body to match your opponent’s silhouette and knock down blocks against the clock and fill in thousands of shapes of all sizes and themes.

Sounds like it could be a great drinking game, but we have to wonder how we’ll be able to fit eight people in a room that can all be seen by the Kinect’s sensor. Also, does this mean a video game version of Spin the Bottle is next?

This week through the end of September, fans can go to UFC’s website to vote on their favorite. In addition, gamers that cast their ballots will have the chance to enter a sweepstakes to win tickets for a future UFC live event

Gamers will be able to step into the virtual octogan of “UFC Undisputed 3” for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in January.